Adventures in vegan eats and feats

The winner takes it all! Beet latkes + sticky-fried broccoli + beans

I actually won the Bunny Kitchen’s NuNatural’s giveaway AND a giveaway from KeepinItKind, hot on the heels of my win of another NuNaturals’ fest hosted by the generous and talented Ann over @ The Unrefined Vegan!! SO much glee! 😀 I’ve decided to pay it forward this time round and add some local vegan-friendly goodies into the packet and then host some sort of raffle or what not to share my bounty across the lands! (or until my bank account starts clearing its throat rather urgently in distress of its own poverty). Basically I’m willing to add extra goodies to the box and see how far I can send it out into the far distance. This way I can combine my love of shopping with sharing, which is always fun 🙂

SQUEE! To celebrate this madness I’ve decided to start compiling a little ebook of easy weekday vegan dinners. Since it’ll take me some time to make and do some research, I’ve decided to share what I made today, and which might feature in said ebook.

In a non-stick pan or wok heat the sesame oil in the pan on medium-high, then add the broccoli and chickpeas, letting them fry for approximately five minutes or so, or until they get a slight brown to their edges.

Add the mung bean sprouts to the veggie-bean mix.

Evenly pour your sauce mixture all over the broccoli, chickpeas + sprouts, then take a non-metal spatula and carefully coat as much of the veggies and beans as possible. Let the mixture sit in this new sauce, stirring only once or twice, for approximately 5 minutes.

Hopefully you should be getting a smoky vibe! Feel free to add splashes of vegan white wine to loosen your veggie-beans if necessary.

Take off the stove and set aside. Remove the rosemary sprigs if you like.

Note: Three latkes should make a pretty substantial impact on your stomach, so just make the 7 and have the rest for bfast in the morning as a type of savoury pancake :D)

1/2 medium peeled and grated sweet potato, equalling 1 cup

1/2 medium beetroot, peeled and grated, equalling 1 cup

1 small nub (1″) fresh ginger, peeled and grated, equalling 1-2 tsp

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup plus 1 TBSP chickpea flour – I wanted some more protein!

one flax egg (1 TBSP ground flax in 3 TBSP water, set aside in fridge to gel for 15 mins)

spices – smoked paprika, paprika, cayenne, etc – make it spicy!

Italian parsley, chopped finely

Optional: 1 TBSP fig jam

How-to:

If frying, spray a non-stick pan or thinly oil up a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.

Once the pan is heated, roll ¼ cup portions of batter in your hands and morph them into somewhat flat patty shapes, about 2 cm in height.

Fry for 4-5 minutes a side with the lid on until browned. If you’ve used oil place fried latkes on a paper towel to soak up the oil. Keep under some foil while preparing the rest of your latkes. If your pan is big enough you can fry 2-3 at a time!

Optional: Once done spread a very thin layer of fig jam or so on top of each latke.

Optional: If you would like to try baking, preheat to 200C and prepare a baking tray with parchment and some anti-stick spray.

Mix everything together in a bowl, then scoop out even 1/4 cup portions onto a baking tray and flatten into 1cm thick round pancakes. Bake for 8 minutes, then carefully flip and bake for another 8 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

I can’t describe how epically YUMMY this simple dish is! The delightful smoky latkes with crispy exterior and slightly squishy interior with the perfect counterbalanace of fig jam atop (esp with the fresh creaminess of the avocado!). Then the ridiculously simple fried broccoli + beans in a sweet-sour sauce, wow!

What makes this simple dish amazing is that it contains all you need – some carbs, hidden and prominent veggies, lots of protein from the cannelini beans and chickpea flour, AND the healthy fats from the avocado. If you’re any species of sensible you’ll always have a side salad with dinner, because no evening is complete with a bowl of healthy lettuce, cucumber and the like. I start off my day with lettuce-based smoothies so I insist on it to round off the day 😀

I also wanted to share what I found on the internet that has absolutely made me squee in my pants – a free eBook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz!! Cookbooks are one of those luxuries I simply cannot afford, being on a temporary job basis, which is why the internet is the best lifesaver for new and old vegans alike, but Isa’s stuff? Gahhh! So shiny, indulgent… it’s like listening to Barry White on acid, elbow-deep in soy custard with chocolate sprinkles…which has now made me hungry. ANYWAY! Check it out – a collection of yummy and easy recipes all for nada! There are also links to youtube how-to videos which just rocked my world yesterday (thank the gods Man-thing wasn’t home last night, or he would have pulled faces at this level of dork), and certainly helped me see how pancakes should be made! AANNND looking at the date of publication it seems I am totally uncool and it’s actually been around since late last year, but that’s too bad. I only just saw it, therefore shiny. 😀

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Ahoy, I’m Margaux! History teacher and freelance editor; wench to my Man-thing; volunteer at a cat shelter; and handmaiden to our kitsy cats, Gatsby, Freyja and Atlas. This blog is dedicated to vegan food, occasionally overthrown by pictures of foster kittens and other fluffy creatures. I love sharing ideas and recipes, so don't be shy: stop by and say hi!